Portable internal combustion engines have been used to drive electric generators which convert the mechanical energy of the engines into electricity for use in the field for many purposes. Generator sets of this type include a small engine similar to those used for a lawn mower or the like which is used to drive a generator which produces electricity. However, most of these devices are quite noisy. Since they must be run continuously to supply electricity for many uses, the noise made by the internal combustion engine is unsuitable for many purposes, including use in a residential area. Although attempts have been made to enclose or house prior generator sets, these attempts have not been entirely satisfactory because, in addition to other problems, the amount of noise reduction is not sufficient to effectively quiet the noise from the internal combustion engine; noise abatement structures applied external to the generator set result in a bulky and expensive noise control system; enclosures or housings supplied to reduce noise tend to vibrate, thereby resulting in secondary noise emissions; and, problems have been experienced with the air cooling systems in such enclosed generator sets.
Therefore, a need exists for a quiet generator set. Where attempts are made to enclose the internal combustion engine of a generator set a need exists for an efficient cooling system to keep the working parts of the internal combustion engine and the generator cool during operation so that they do not overheat and prematurely malfunction.
The present invention provides solutions to these problems and offers other advantages over the prior art and solves other problems associated with the prior art.